"LORD NOVGOROD THE GREAT - 96"
Press release - July, 25


Word about women

Judith Polgar - is not the first woman - chess player who visited the town located on the banks of the Volchov river. Prior to the fact when first tournament "Lord Novgorod the Great" collected best players-men two years ago, the oldest Russian town hosted beautiful ladies. Twenty one years ago!

Needless to say that the level of organization of the international chess tournament was not so good, but nevertheless, games between fourteen women-participants, nine of whom were players of international category from six European countries, attracted attention and interest of Novgorod chess fans, attending tournament held in May, 13 - June, 3, 1975 in a building of a former Palace of Culture named after N.G.Vasiliev. The winner of the 11th tournament, for the first time arranged in Novgorod, was a student of Gorkiy teachers' - training college Esphir Epstein, who gained 9,5 points out of 13 possible. Irina Levitina got a second rating, she had been trained at the Leningrad State University that very year. She yielded to her rival only 0,5 point. The third winner was a guest from ex-DDR - Brigitta Hofmann: 8,5 points. Zoya Sogrina is among the accredited journalists on the super tournament 1996, she is a chief of the local newspaper department "Novgorod", who gave information about women international chess tournament in the local newspaper "Novgorodskaya Pravda". By the way, the editorial board of the regional newspaper, where the famous journalist had worked for many years, instituted special prize for the best game (match), and it was awarded to the Bulgarian women-participant Antonina Ivanova.

It's worth to be mentioned, Zoya Alexandrovna is a chess fan for many years. She attended numerous chess tournaments as well as Olympic Games. She interviewed Mikhail Tal, Boris Spassky, Anatoly Karpov, Harry Kasparov, Nona Gaprindashvili, Maya Chiburdanidze.

July, 24 - a day off - was marked by holding international super football match between team of chess players and a team of regional administration which became traditional. The result of the game is - 1:1. The score was opened by the best Belorussian grand master Boris Gelfand, but a balance was restored by the chairman of the regional sale's department Yuri Zernov. The result of the game was determined by overtime penalties. The first serial was not successful for any team - the goalkeepers were very reliable - a student of Novgorod State University Vladimir Kramnik and a chairman of regional sports committee Nikolai Grachev. The victorious goal was scored by his deputy Valeriy Dmitriev and as a result the bosts got a victory with a score: 2:1.

The team of chess world was composed from Vladimir Kramnik and his second. Ovanes Danielyan, Vasily Ivanchuk and his second Alexander Sulypa, Boris Gelfand and his coach Alexander Huzman, Veselin Topalov and his coach and his manager Silvio Danailov, Nigel Short, grand master Sergei Makarychev, french journalist Christopher Bouton, who transmits information about super tournament into computering system "Internet", thanks to which thousands of chess fans in the world have the chance to watch the chess battles on the bank of the Volkhov river. The coach of the chess world team was Boris Postovsky, the chief arbiter of the supertournament, senior coach of the Olympidc Russian team.

After final refereeôs whistle, his obligations were fulfilled by the deputy of the press center Alexander Vlasov. Grandmasters and seconds tried their forces in table tennis when no one could match fragile Judit Polgar. The best woman chess player as it appeared, can cope with small bore rifle! She got 39 points out of 50 possible regarding that cool- blooded Judit fired a shot in standing position. Hopefully, she will be lucky at black and white board. Special dinner was arranged to greet Judit on the day of her 20th birthday. Vladimir Kramnik, " the offender " who won the game with Judit was the first who wished her his best regards. The most original present was awarded on Juditôs birthday by the chief arbiter of the supertournament Boris Postovsky. He offered the youngest participant a quiet rare book less than 1 kilo in weight by the 7th world champion Vasili Smyslov " Chronicle of chess activity " signed by the author of this book.


Copyright © 1996 Novgorod State University